When I tell people that I’m from Baltimore, MD, I can pretty much predict the response I’m going to get, and that response is almost never “Really? I’ve always wanted to go there!”

And this is where most people get Baltimore wrong. Make no bones about it, our city has its struggles, and they can’t be ignored. But it’s also a place with tons of heart, charm and culture. Made up of quirky, diverse neighborhoods, hard-working folks and a thriving arts scene, this town has something for just about anyone. Without further ado, I give you ten reasons Baltimore should be your next weekend getaway.

1. We’ve got more historical charm in one neighborhood than most cities altogether.

Bold claim, I know, but hear me out. Fells Point is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the world, and I’m pretty sure if you came here it would be one of yours too. That is, unless you have something against cobble-stoned streets, charming boutiques, bustling bars and a picturesque harbor, in which case, who exactly are you?

Fells is a go-to spot for locals and tourists alike. It’s home to one of Maryland’s most iconic bars, The Horse You Came In On, where legend has it Edgar Allen Poe made his last stop before mysteriously dieing hours later. Hopefully you think that’s cool, not creepy, but if you think its the latter, forget I said anything. On a sunny, Saturday afternoon, you’ll find the streets filled with outdoor diners, music, water taxis, and general merriment as locals take advantage of their waterfront neighborhood. Visiting in winter? The rowhome converted bars become cozy sanctuaries to enjoy a cocktail and a view.

2. The Mount Vernon cultural district will transport you to another place and time.

The cultural hub of Mount Vernon will certainly make you question your whereabouts, with architecture that encompasses a European sense of beauty and history. Yes, I just compared Baltimore to Europe. Stay with me. Did you know that the original George Washington monument was built here in 1817? ‘Cause it was. And then there’s the Walters Art Museum, Meyerhoff Symphony, and awe-inducing Peabody library, not to mention America’s first Catholic cathedral, which was recently restored. Top it all off with free yoga classes, movies in the park, and seasonal music performances right in the square, and Mount Vernon will have you whistling a different tune about Baltimore faster than you can polish off a drink at Sugarvale, the local cocktail and charcuterie bar.

3. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a Maryland crab feast.

After partaking in all that Mount Vernon has to offer, you’ll be down for some grub, and there’s no better way to do lunch in Baltimore than by partaking in a crab feast. You can expect it to be messy, fun, and absolutely delicious. There’s an unending amount of options for crab houses all around Maryland, with some of the best being on the outskirts of the city. A few reliable spots right downtown are Bo Books, Canton Dockside, and Captain James Crabhouse & Restaurant. Wash it all down with a Natty Boh and you’ll be mistaken for a local in no time flat.

4. Hampden, Hon.

The colorful and off-beat Hampden neighborhood is home to Baltimore’s “hons,” known as local, lovable ladies from the ’60s dressed with beehive hairdos and cat-eye glasses who frequently used “hon” as a term of endearment. The annual Baltimore “HonFest” is one of the cities most major events, spanning two full days with hundreds of people and merchants coming together to celebrate the unique culture of the city. These days, Hampden is filled with some of Baltimore’s most highly acclaimed restaurants and shops, along with a few classic dive bars. Stop by The Charmery for a refreshing treat that will make you question everything you thought you knew about ice cream.

5. Even if you don’t love baseball, you’ll love Camden Yards.

Regardless of how our birds might be doing on any given year, the caliber of the Oriole Park at Camden Yards is undeniable no matter which team you root for. The park is historically built over an old railroad station, and only 2 blocks from the birthplace of baseball’s most legendary hero, George Herman “Babe” Ruth. In fact, Babe Ruth’s father ran Ruth’s Cafe on what is now center field. In a nutshell, it’s the perfect blend of old and new, with plenty of bars and eateries to complete the entire experience, whether you came for the beer or the baseball.

6. Fort McHenry is a paradise for history buffs.

In 1814, Francis Scott Key penned a little song called “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which was written after he witnessed Fort McHenry being attacked by the British during the War of 1812, but still saw the single U.S. flag flying overhead at dawn. To this day, the fort is a history buffs dream, and easily accessible from downtown.

7. We’re a town fit for foodies.

We may be known for our blue crabs, but don’t get it twisted; seafood isn’t the only trick we have up our sleeves. Baltimore is home to an array of incredible restaurants, and if you won’t take my word for it, you might take Zagat’s, who named Baltimore one of the top 17 food cities of 2015, noting that Spike Gjerde of local restaurant Woodberry Kitchen took home the James Beard Foundation Award in 2015 for the “Best Chef: Mid Atlantic” category. If you’re looking for something a little more budget-friendly, try out one of Gjerde’s other restaurants, like Parts & Labor, a modern butchery in a converted car-and tire-repair shop, or Artifact coffee, a charming old mill house with a farm-to-table brunch menu and lattes that are practically made for your instagram feed.

8. Water, Water Everywhere.

One of the best ways to enjoy Baltimore is a stroll along the harbor to take in the views (and if you’re equipped with a cone from the Fells Point Creamery or an iced coffee from The Daily Grind, that’s even better). Hop in a water taxi to get off your feet and onto the water for a bit and make a stop in Harbor East, a decidely ritzier side of Baltimore. Meander through the streets of upscale shops (Curiosity is a must) and restaurants (Wit and Wisdomis perfect for happy hour on the water), or venture to the more touristy but iconic Inner Harbor, with downtown views and plenty of attractions, including our renowned National Aquarium.

9. You can come as you are.

Still, don’t let the pomp and circumstance of Harbor East fool you. In Baltimore, you can come as you are. Fancy wearing your pajamas to brunch? That’s fine, there’ll be someone there wearing something weirder. Feel most comfortable in a dive bar? Great. We’ve got those in spades. No one gets away with a pretentious attitude here. We’re work hard, play hard, so let loose, grab a beer and enjoy the people watching.

10. We’re a hop, skip and a jump away from D.C.

One of the best parts of Baltimore is how convenient it is to other thriving cities in the mid-atlantic. You can hop on the commuter train to Washington D.C. for a mere $8 and only 45 minutes of your time, allowing you to take in all the sights of our nations capitol without the expense of staying there overnight.

Ideal applicants must have excellent communication skills, acute attention to detail, a high level of organizational skills and the ability to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. Individuals should thrive in a high-energy entrepreneurial environment, possess a strong work ethic and be self-motivated. We are looking for high-energy individuals that want to jump into the high-tech industry and be part of a growing team.

Ancient people used to fret about what constituted a proper offering for their many gods. A poor submission at the local temple could trigger a bad harvest, rampaging disease or other terrible misfortunes. Or it simply meant that the unsuitable request was ignored. Security vendors looking to grab the attention of journalists may feel the same way at times. While there are no harvests on the line, taking the time to craft and distribute a press release, only to have it be seemingly rebuffed or ignored, probably feels about the same.

Thankfully, journalists are slightly less fickle than ancient gods. If you understand what drives them, and can help them achieve those goals, you can cultivate meaningful relationships with many reporters and take a lot of guesswork out of the process. You probably won’t be welcomed with open arms every single time, but can drastically up your odds of being included in a story – which should be your ultimate motivation when dealing with the press.

For the most part, all good journalists are dedicated to the prospect of telling meaningful, truthful stories to their readers. But that hardly tells the whole story. For that, I am going to let you in on a little secret that may not be too well known outside of newsroom bullpens. And here it is: most reporters are under some type of story quota that they owe their editors every day, week or month. The number of stories they need to produce is normally divided up in different ways, from longer investigative or feature work to shorter takeaways and news briefs. There is incredible pressure for reporters to hit their numbers, and I’ve personally seen many good people fail because they couldn’t keep up.

A second, much more recent, motivation came with the move of most publications to the Web as either a component to print or as the sole component of a modern magazine. Because everything on the Web can be counted, reporters are also judged by how many readers their stories capture, and even more recently, how many shares or likes those stories get on social media. One could rightfully argue that these trends are hurting journalism, but regardless, those are two factors that most reporters must contend with every day.

That doesn’t mean that a security vendor can cobble something together quickly, shoot it off to a listserv, and have hundreds of reporters start working the story. For one, reporters get a lot of news from many sources. Back when I was the reviews director of a major federal trade magazine, receiving over 100 press releases each week was about average. And, reporters won’t work with a poorly crafted and irrelevant press release because the resulting story likely won’t pass the second test – nobody will read it, tweet about it or share it.

Now that you know the pressures on the other side of the journalistic fence, you can step up your game, help the overworked reporters out, and start to get more of your news published.

The first step is to make sure that you have a good hook. Readers likely won’t care that you recently implemented version 8.9.2 of your signature product, so neither will most reporters. But they might care if you tie your company news into a bigger trend or story. Perhaps that new feature can defeat a certain type of attack that is ravaging the industry that the reporter you are trying to reach covers. Or perhaps your product now aligns with a specific trend, or can help organizations comply with new or pending regulations. The more you can show the reporter, using as specific examples as possible, that you understand the issues and trends within the industry they cover, the more chance you have of serious consideration. This is true for an in-person or over-the-phone type of pitch, and for a press release.

Another thing that most reporters need is quotes. Especially with press releases, you should have at least a few quotes that they can use. Most journalists won’t use a press release verbatim, but instead rewrite it to fit their own narrative. But they will use quotes directly. And your quotes should follow the same rule as the pitch itself; they should talk about the issues and trends of the overall community. Avoid self-serving quotes at all costs. And, though it might prove difficult to get, having quotes from users or even government officials, especially if they can push your issues and trends theme, will get you serious bonus points.

Finally, you need to make sure that the reporter knows that you are willing to talk about these issues beyond just the quotes you’ve included, and have company officials prepared to chat within what might be a reporter’s very tight deadline. Make it very clear in the release that company officials are available to talk more about the issues and trends.

Remember, don’t try to directly sell your product or service to a journalist. Talk about the issues and trends that the reporter and their readers care about. Your company will get the coverage it desires, but you will also gain something else with this approach: you will be recognized as a thought leader in your industry. If you do that enough times, and do it well, it won’t be long before reporters may start coming to you, a boon that no ancient god ever bestowed on their hopeful petitioners.

John Breeden II is an award-winning journalist and reviewer with over 20 years of experience covering technology and government. He is currently the CEO of the Tech Writers Bureau, a group that creates technological thought leadership content for organizations of all sizes. Twitter: @LabGuys

It was mid-morning and the sun had made its usual climb to the center of Baltimore’s sky. I looked up from beneath the shadows of the green awning that read Atlantic–Southwestern Broom Company, took a deep breath, opened the door, and entered full-time employment.

When I think back to the nerves that consumed me that day and many days after, I retreat to a time when my biggest worries were being late to swim practice and finishing the latest Harry Potter book. J.K. Rowling once said, “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” Armed with this knowledge, I joined this year’s fresh crop of millennials taking on our first 9-5.

The months progressed normally, mimicking the routines of my internship with a splash of new responsibilities and challenges. I watched as my co-workers effortlessly weaved through the intricacies that form the PR world and learned that asking questions was not only key for my success but for my overall knowledge of the industry.

When it comes to press releases and award submissions, we have the power to imagine better.

When showcasing leaders as the mavericks of the industry, we have the power to imagine better.

When broadening our client’s grasp on the world, we have the power to imagine better.

LaunchTech has taught me that luck isn’t the force that propels success, but rather the influence of a team working as a cohesive unit. Reflecting on my first few months as a workforce newbie, I am thankful to have found pride in my work and in my team. I am even happier to report that amidst the deadlines and article placements, a part of me is still able to believe in magic.

And to work in renovated broom factory? Well, some things just couldn’t have been planned better.

Ok, I’m just going to say it – LaunchTech is a great place to work. We’re in a great location, our work is very interesting and most importantly we have a fantastic team of employees.

This doesn’t happen by accident. We spend time and energy on hiring candidates that compliment each other and contribute to our success. Our whole team is invested in this process and we’re all looking for a good fit.

Take a look at how we do it and what we look for:

Resume
A strong resume and opening email are still as important as ever – no joke. It’s the first impression you make. Yes, we do look for grammar, spelling and document organization and often times rule out candidates based on these things alone. Take care when composing anything that you put out – it is an indication of your attention to detail and respect for your work.

Social Media
Do you know what your internet presence looks like – because we definitely do. We work in cyber security and deal with social media everyday. It’s important for our team members to be conscious of the information they put out. We’ll definitely take a pass if we find anything strange or inappropriate.

Interviews
Don’t underestimate the importance of a phone interview. It’s my launch point into this process. I can get a good glimpse into communication skills and organized thought. Questions are designed to get you to think on your feet. From here I decide if you advance to the next step!

At the in-office interview, we want to know about experience and industry knowledge. We want to see samples of your work and learn where you see yourself most valuable. Got career goals? Share them with us! We are looking for all of your selling points:

Worked on any challenging projects at school or at work? That tells me that you are not afraid to roll up your sleeves and put the time in when necessary.

Were you an athlete in college? That tells me you can juggle a demanding schedule and a heavy workload.

Are you involved in any organizations or have strong outside interests? That tells me you are well rounded and interesting.

Are you comfortable with our team? That tells me if you’ll fit into the company’s culture.

Follow-up
Always write a thank you. Let me say that again – always write a thank you! Email is fine– but hand written is still best. It shows consideration and attention to detail and you’d be surprised at how much we take this step into consideration.

Ever since I decided to pursue PR as a college sophomore, I have known that it is a misunderstood field. My family struggled to grasp what I would do for work, and most people I knew could not even define public relations. My major was also the source of many light hearted jabs from college friends; unlike some of my peers, no one ever saw me studying for exams late into the night. Instead I was having a blast writing articles and documents, developing media plans and working on other projects that were more creative and detail oriented than technical. In my friends’ minds, studying PR was nothing compared to a science or finance degree. Little did any of us know, my degree would land me a position that would ultimately send me head first into the world of cybersecurity and technology.

I think a lack of understanding about the role of PR and the value it brings to companies across all industries can in part be attributed to media portrayals of the profession – in my opinion, PR careers on television and in movies don’t quite do us justice. Others think of PR as damage control when there is a scandal, and unfortunately sometimes we do work on smoothing those over. My job certainly has elements of excitement and flair; but at its core, our goal is to help our clients communicate their message at the right time, in the right place, to the right audience. Entire books have been written just to define PR, but at the end of the day, we do anything and everything that helps build beneficial relationships for our clients.

When I started at LaunchTech, my position required me to roll up my sleeves and start using the public relations skills I learned in school – that part was familiar enough. The unfamiliar part was learning about the products and services our clients offer, and their role in the technology industry. Nothing in my background had prepared me for the world of cybersecurity, and I needed to gain a solid understanding in order to help strategically promote my clients in ways that match their organizational goals. I’d like to think I’ve been a quick study! In the past year, I have been fortunate enough to grow into a career in the PR and cybersecurity industries in tandem – and coincidentally have become much more aware and paranoid about the possibility of getting hacked than I would have imagined.

I love what I do. My work is challenging and exciting, and I continue to learn and develop my skill set with every project I do and client I support. In our field there is a saying: “There are two types of companies. Those that have been hacked, and those about to be.” As long as breaches continue to happen, the companies getting hacked will rely on the support of their PR team, and the companies trying to prevent hacks will do the same. So in the end, I would say I hit the career jackpot!

Since working in the security field, my habits when it comes to data security seem to be much more cautious than those of my millennial peers. Full disclosure here, I spend my days engulfed in a flurry of case studies, cautionary tales and warnings from various mediums detailing just how vulnerable information is in the digital age. That said, I recently started to notice a recurring theme amongst people in my social circle who are having breach drama of their own. It seems that regularly, my friends are having their credit card information stolen or their PC’s filled with Viruses because they had to download the latest app – which in turn, crashed their computer.

Ours is a generation where accessibility and instant access to anything and everything is the norm and expected; I would even wager to say ‘demanded’. Activities that correlate with this cultural shift include mobile online banking on a crowded subway, connecting to public Wi-Fi networks or downloading software without reading the user agreement. But this technology-demanding culture has also created a non secure culture. Millennials are not paying enough attention to the risks of their activity.

For example, a recent study by Software Advice shows that 85% of millennials say they reuse online passwords. Say you share your Netflix password with a friend. Before you know it, your friend’s mom’s boyfriend has your Netflix password which happens to be the same password you use for online banking and said boyfriend happens to be an unsavory fellow – Splendid!

It’s no wonder my peers who engage in this risky online behavior are getting hacked and I’m not. The solution is simple – maintain good cyber hygiene. Take a second to think about what you are doing on the Internet. Don’t click on the link emailed from a stranger, no matter how tempting, and avoid simple and easy to crack passwords. It’s important to protect your information and keep your guard up online. You never know who can make their way onto your system.

Prior to Snowden, organizations were focused on protecting networks, not information. As the ever-evolving insider threat industry starts to hone their sights on behavior analytics, we need to consider how an individual’s behavior correlates with the rest of their organization.

LaunchTech’s Wayne Schepens offers insights on considering the source of the threat, whether it be malicious or unintentional, during a webinar sponsored by Forcepoint and FedScoop, “A Federal Business Case for Funding Your Insider Threat Program.” Eric Ogren, a Senior Security Analyst at 451 Research, Michael Crouse, Director of Insider Threat Strategies at Forcepoint and Wyatt Kash, VP, Content Strategy, of Scoop News Group also contributed to this webinar.

As organizations are bombarded by more and more alerts, it is vital that they develop a system to filter out the meaningless threats from the backbreaking ones. Without comparing individuals to their prior behaviors, peers and points of access, organizations will continue to welcome potentially compromised employees. The most dangerous component to insider threat programs is a lack of context. If everything is a priority, than nothing is a priority.

Read more about building your case for funding your insider threat program here.

For college seniors, the month of May is both an exciting and terrifying time. Coursework and exams finally come to a close, but so does a very particular lifestyle that becomes comfortable after four years. All of a sudden, your university shuts and locks the door behind you and it’s time for the next chapter of your life.

But what is that next chapter exactly? For me, it is a job at LaunchTech Communications.

It doesn’t matter where you went to school, most college graduates have two things in common: a set of skills and experiences, and a crazed drive to find a job. In my case, I wasn’t looking for just any job. I had an open mind and and my hopes set on a job that would help me learn and grow into a high-energy career.

The idea of spending my summer after college like it was any other summer of my life wasn’t enough for me. As my friends solidified plans and jobs around me, part of me, my “confident side”, knew I should not compare my path in life to someone else’s. Everyone does things differently, right? But my “competitive side” refused to feel left in the dust. Especially not after I spent four years making connections and doing everything I possibly could to beef up my resume to land a job!

With all too perfect timing, the connections I made at Loyola University Maryland played a huge role in me finding the job I was looking for. As I sat around trying to grasp the idea that I was not in fact just home for a long weekend (one where I happened to have all of my belongings boxed up around me), I was forwarded an email from a communication company looking for Account Coordinators. After months of job searching and interviewing for positions I was only half interested in, this opportunity seemed too good to be true. I hadn’t found many companies looking for someone to do what I wanted to do, let alone a company actually looking for entry level communication candidates. Stop the presses, here is my application!

The job description was everything I was looking for; writing, social media, campaigns, YES! I couldn’t believe it. I wrote up a cover letter and updated my resume, and said a huge prayer to the Job Gods as I sent my best stuff over to LaunchTech Communications.

Of course I know it had more to do with me than the Job Gods that I got the job – I worked hard in college and found every bit of experience I could to prepare myself. Plus, I was eager to enter a new industry and work in an entrepreneurial setting. Although I am admittedly nervous about starting this new chapter of my life, I couldn’t be more excited to begin my PR career with LaunchTech. I am so grateful for this opportunity – this is exactly where I want to be, and I can’t wait to experience all of the challenging and rewarding things that are to come!

-Taylor Hadley, Account Coordinator

LaunchTech is excited to welcome Taylor to our team! We expect some pretty great things from her.

In the PR industry, ensuring your clients stay above the noise doesn’t mean your outreach strategy has to undergo a major overhaul every few months. What you do need to do however, is keep your outreach fresh by effectively incorporating traditional PR with non-traditional messaging strategies.

While none of the following tactics/ideas are particularly revolutionary or profound, when wisely integrated into standard PR practices such as press release distribution and reporter calls – they combine to elevate a relatively static campaign into a dynamic, effective one:

Proactive Social Media. Don’t assume your target audience is going to see the great coverage you just got, make sure to use all of today’s great social media tools to push that content. Today’s news is bite-sized and needs to be pushed accordingly. When you launch a new product or provide thought leadership comments on a key industry topic, distribute it among all your social media outlets. This positions you as a key resource for news and insight, but only if you keep it conversational. Don’t just use social media to spam your audience, take the time to engage in conversation and provide insight that goes beyond just your products and services. People will take you more seriously and in turn, will push your content to their followers as well.

Awards. When dealing with awards, people often fall into a checklist mentality – often times just cutting and pasting pre-written boilerplate or, worse, someone’s LinkedIn profile. Don’t just take the easy route, take the opportunity to tell a story about your company’s ability to innovate and make tremendous impact upon customers. By crafting award nominations as a compelling, results-driven narrative, instead of a laundry list of accomplishments, you are giving judges something different and interesting to read – and standing out is what you want.

Thought Leadership. Positioning your executives as experts able to speak on trends and not just their products and/or solutions, elevates their profile as respected thought leaders within their industry. And as a result, it advances their careers, and elevates their company’s brand awareness/reputation. When there is a new product/solution to promote, take the messaging beyond simply “vendor promotional speak.” Think of taking a contrarian view to the current conventional thinking. More often than not, editors at publications are more likely to include an executive in a story if the comments go against the grain, as opposed to echoing the standard boilerplate from all the other “so called” industry pundits.

Data and Insight. A highly effective way to ensure your company is covered in the news is to make the news yourself. One way to do this is through surveys. Pinpoint a relevant, compelling industry topic that relates to your product/solution and conduct a scientifically valid survey around it. Make sure there are a couple “grabber” questions – the kind that media members latch upon because they make for a traffic-generating headline. Another way is sharing client feedback and anecdotes that put into context a specific industry challenge or trend. You can do this without revealing specific customer data, but you need to have compelling data that you can point to and back up your claims.

Repurpose. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you produce something for promotion or distribution. Always look to take existing content and repurpose it into another format. In many cases, you can recast a press release as a case study, blog or podcast. You can transform a series of blogs and trade-press byliners into a white paper. And you can break out a white paper’s sections into stand-alone pieces to come up with a blog series. As indicated, none of these practices represents the stuff of rocket science. Each one is a tool which you can use throughout the year to distinguish your key messages. At LaunchTech Communications, we pride ourselves on keeping our clients public relations campaigns fresh and exciting. If you are looking to spruce up your outreach program and would like to hear how we can help, we would love to hear from you.

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About Us

LaunchTech is an emerging tech PR and marketing agency focused on creating proactive, ongoing communications and marketing campaigns that yield measurable results for clients in the business-to-business and business-to-government high-technology marketplaces.